Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-09-30
Statesmen With Taste for BOTANY.

Statesmen With a Taste for Botany.
DO public men know or care much
shout botany or yoar gardens" s New
1ork Star reporter asked of William
Smith, superin .endens of the botanical
gardens that lie at the base OF the hill
over which the capitol at Washington
towers.
That's s question" he replied. that
can be answered in several WAYS To
most of them science is new book. They
only know the garden as convenient
flower bank, TO draw on when their
wives give dinner parties, or want 10 fix
up for reception days, or their sweet
hearts need few pansies for remem-
oeTance. OF course, there Is no sym-
Fathy between such propensities and
mine.
But there are some exceptions no
doubt"
lob, yes, ana some very distinguished
ones. Some public men have excellent
tastes and are experts in the science. Mr..
Sumner was great enthusiast: he ran to
trees and was about the NEST Intelligent
man on the subject l ever met in public
life. He used to tell me that when travel
Ing he would peer out of the car windows
by the hour on the lookout for q beauri-
tut tree, and when his eye for the lovely
and symmetrical was satisfied he would
go into raptures. He would gaze as low
lngly as fond parent on that old Italian
beech that stood so long east of the capt
tol, and what an apostrophe he pale it in
one of his speeches. The last euioyment
had With him, shortly before he died.
was IN visiting favorite elm of his on
Boston Common. Senator ingalls,, of
Kansas also ~ !
devoted student of arboriculturr Some
OF the most valuable suggestions about
distributing plants in the west come from
hi.n.
And them" the veteran botauisr con
tinued," there have been others with a
passion for botany. Mr.. Fessenden, of
Name, was an ardent apostle all through
MS long public life. l remember that
MS vile had sweet verbena in their
nome IN Maine of which she was very
fond. She watched them teuderly as a
child and Mr.. FeSsenden shared the feel
lug so thoroughly that for Is years he
would Journey home from Washington
TO take up tie plant In the autumn, and
make another trip III the springtlme TO
set 1t out. No pressure OF the public
business could make him forget that
Neroena' 1t was really a paternal devo-
ton.
Senator James \. Pearce, of Mary
! land, was one OF the most cultivated bot
anlstS ever III Congress. Scarcely a day
passed that he did not drop in on me to
watch tbs growth of some favorite plant
or some new eXperImet, and his ideas were
! always scientific and valuable. And then
there was b. Graz Brown, very warm
lover of flowers and thorough master OF
their cultivation. During ali the time he
was IN the senate, l don't believe he miss
ed day at the garden, and we would cha
for hours when he felt III the humor. Ii
was a passion with him as well as an in
stlnct.
There's another botanist in congress. a
most ardent disciple, aud know the name
Will ourpr You, Mr.. Holmes, of Indiana.
W no IN the world would ever pick him out
! as lover of flowers? He Is generally
looked upon by the people who want to
run their arms into the public crib as Il
man with narrow nlRgardly instincts. Ii
! seems almost contradiction that one of
his reputation should be lover of how
/ efS, but he certainly is. No one has been
IN congress. since | can remember, and
that's long time, with more hearty
and Intelligent love for the garden. He
! Is frequent visitor and you can sec by
| his conversation that he watches every
new phase of the science as keenly as he
does the money bags of the treasury 1t
| seems to be a mantal exhilaration for
! HIM to commune with these curious plants
| from ali over the world, and study their
| hidden life. He is quite as familiar with
the botanical names and the habits OF
plants and flowers as most professional
botanlsts. He picked it up as a recrea
tlou and his spare time is nearly all de
voted to it.
Sam Cox is tirst-class botanist, bat
| let me tell you that he is also the best
reader L ever met. He is a walking CIV clio
! pedia on every subject covered by books
| He not only has a great deal at ready
command, but his gilt of rapid explora-
tlon Is really marvellous. If any phase of
new subject is introduced Cox will
know enough of some kindred subject to
! give him the key to the situation, and it's
really lncredulous how soon he can in.
form himself. Now in botany, for in
stance, he will strike snag some after
noon that he didn't know anything about
but the next morning he'll come around
with his mental channel all bridged out
But, then, this doesn't apply to his bot
any alone; It's the same thing with every
thing else. He can learn more il
shorter time than any other man l ever
saw.